Creatine: The Only Supplement You Really Need

If you could only take one supplement for the rest of your life, it should be creatine. This isn’t hype. It’s not marketing. It’s the most studied and proven substance in the history of sports supplementation.

Let’s understand why.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a natural compound that your body already produces. It’s present in meats and fish, and is stored primarily in your muscles.

Natural sources of creatine:
Beef: ~5g per kg
Chicken: ~3-4g per kg
Salmon: ~4.5g per kg
Tuna: ~4g per kg

Problem: To get 5g of creatine (ideal daily dose) from food, you’d need to eat about 1kg of meat per day. Impractical.

That’s where the supplement comes in.

How Creatine Works

The ATP System

Your muscles run on ATP (adenosine triphosphate) - the body’s “energy currency.”

During intense exercise:
ATP → ADP + Energy (muscle movement)

The problem:
ATP reserves last only 2-3 seconds of maximum effort

Where Creatine Comes In

Creatine helps regenerate ATP faster.

With creatine:
Creatine phosphate + ADP → ATP + Creatine

Result:
- More energy available for intense contractions
- More reps before fatigue
- More explosive strength

It’s like having a backup energy bank that allows more work before “running out of juice.”

What Science Says

Decades of Research

Creatine has over 500 human studies. No other supplement comes close to this level of evidence.

Meta-analysis of 22 studies (Branch, 2003):
- Maximum strength: +8% vs placebo
- Strength endurance: +14% vs placebo
- Lean mass: +1-2kg more in 12 weeks

Proven Benefits

Performance:

✅ Maximum strength: +5-15%
✅ Explosive power: +10-20%
✅ Sprint capacity: +5-10%
✅ High-intensity endurance: +10-15%
✅ Training volume: More sets/reps

Body composition:

✅ Accelerated muscle gain
✅ Better recovery between sets
✅ Less perceived fatigue

Unexpected bonuses:

✅ Cognitive function: Improves memory and reasoning
✅ Neuroprotection: Possible protection against neurodegenerative diseases
✅ Bone health: May help when combined with training
✅ Glycemic control: Improves insulin sensitivity

How to Use Creatine Correctly

Type: Monohydrate

Use creatine monohydrate. Period.

Why monohydrate?
✅ The most studied
✅ The most effective
✅ The cheapest
✅ The safest

Other forms (HCL, Kre-Alkalyn, etc):
❌ More expensive
❌ Not superior
❌ Less researched
❌ Marketing > Science

Don’t fall for the marketing. Creatine monohydrate is all you need.

Dosage

Simple protocol (recommended):

5g per day, every day
Indefinitely

Loading phase protocol (optional):

Week 1: 20g/day (divided into 4 doses of 5g)
Week 2+: 5g/day

Advantage: Faster saturation (1 week vs 3-4)
Disadvantage: Possible gastrointestinal discomfort

My recommendation: Skip the loading phase. 5g/day works perfectly, it just takes a bit longer to saturate.

Timing

When to take it?

Short answer: Any time.

What matters:
✅ Consistency (every day)
✅ 5g per day

What DOESN'T matter:
❌ Pre or post-workout
❌ With carbs or without
❌ Morning or night

Journal of ISSN study (2013): Post-workout may have a slight advantage, but the difference is minimal. Take it whenever it’s most convenient.

With Water or Shake?

Doesn’t matter. Creatine dissolves reasonably in water. You can mix it in your shake, juice, or coffee. Doesn’t affect efficacy.

Tip: Creatine powder tastes like nothing. Toss it in your mouth and drink water. Simple.

Myths Debunked

Myth 1: “Creatine Is Bad for Your Kidneys”

FALSE.

Studies in healthy people:
- Use for up to 5 years: No negative effect
- Athletes using it for decades: Normal kidneys
- Meta-analyses: Zero evidence of kidney damage

The confusion: Creatine increases creatinine in blood (kidney marker). But that’s because you have MORE creatine in your body, not because your kidneys are failing.

If you have pre-existing kidney disease: Consult a doctor. For healthy people: zero concern.

Myth 2: “Creatine Causes Hair Loss”

PROBABLY FALSE.

Origin of the myth:
1 study from 2009 with rugby players
Showed increase in DHT (hormone linked to baldness)
Never replicated

Reality:

Hundreds of other studies didn’t find this
DHT increase was temporary
No participant reported hair loss
Correlation ≠ Causation

If you already have genetic predisposition for baldness, it might be worth monitoring. For most people: myth.

Myth 3: “You Need to Cycle Creatine”

FALSE.

Why do people cycle?
Myth: "Body gets used to it and stops working"
Reality: This mechanism doesn't exist

Can use continuously:
✅ Doesn't lose effectiveness
✅ No benefit to stopping
✅ Long-term studies confirm

Myth 4: “Creatine Is Just Water Retention”

PARTIALLY FALSE.

Yes, creatine causes water retention.
BUT it's INTRAMUSCULAR (inside the muscle).

This means:
✅ Fuller, more voluminous muscles
✅ It's not subcutaneous bloating
✅ It's not "water under the skin"
✅ Helps with protein synthesis

The initial 1-2kg are muscle water. After that, gains are real muscle thanks to increased performance.

Myth 5: “Women Shouldn’t Take It”

FALSE.

Creatine works THE SAME for women:
✅ Same strength benefits
✅ Same performance benefits
✅ Same safety
✅ Same dosage (5g/day)

Why does this myth exist? Marketing targeted at men and fear of “getting big.” Creatine doesn’t cause magical hypertrophy - you still need to train heavy.

Myth 6: “Creatine Is a Steroid”

COMPLETELY FALSE.

Creatine:
- Is a natural amino acid
- Exists in meats/fish
- Your body produces ~1-2g/day
- Is not a hormone
- Is not anabolic
- Allowed in ALL sports
- Doesn't require prescription

Steroids are synthetic hormones. Creatine is as much a “steroid” as chicken is.

Who Benefits Most?

Greatest Benefit:

✅ Strength/power athletes
✅ Those who train high intensity
✅ Sprint sports
✅ CrossFit, HIIT
✅ Vegetarians/vegans (have less natural creatine)

Lesser Benefit (but still works):

⚠️ Pure endurance athletes (marathon)
⚠️ Low-intensity sports
⚠️ Sedentary people (training is necessary to see effect)

Non-responders

About 20-30% of people are “non-responders.”

Why?
- Already have high natural creatine levels
- Eat a lot of red meat
- Genetics

How to know?
- Use for 4-6 weeks
- If you don't notice a difference, you might be a non-responder
- Not common, but it exists

Real Side Effects

The only documented side effects:

Initial weight gain (1-2kg):
→ Intramuscular water
→ Normal and expected
→ It's not fat

Gastrointestinal discomfort (rare):
→ Usually only with high doses
→ Splitting doses helps
→ Taking with food helps

Cramps (very rare):
→ Probably related to hydration
→ Drink more water

That’s it. Creatine is absurdly safe for such an effective supplement.

Creatine and Cutting

Can you use creatine while cutting?

YES. And you SHOULD.

Why?
✅ Helps maintain strength in deficit
✅ Preserves muscle mass
✅ Keeps muscles visually full
✅ Doesn't make you fat (the 1-2kg are water, not fat)

Myth: “Creatine bloats during cutting”

Reality: The retention is MUSCULAR. You get fuller muscles, not a bloated belly.

Creatine for Beginners

Should beginners take creatine?

Answer: YES, as long as they're training.

Benefits for beginners:
✅ Faster initial gains
✅ Better recovery
✅ More energy in training
✅ Completely safe

There’s no “minimum level” to start. If you train, creatine helps.

Cost-Benefit Comparison

Approximate monthly cost:
Creatine: $10-15/month
Whey: $30-50/month
Pre-workout: $25-45/month
BCAA: $20-30/month

Proven efficacy:
Creatine: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Whey: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (if you need protein)
Pre-workout: ⭐⭐⭐ (the caffeine works)
BCAA: ⭐ (unnecessary)

Creatine is by far the best cost-benefit in the supplement market.

How to Choose a Brand

What to look for:

✅ Creatine monohydrate
✅ 100% pure (no additives)
✅ Creapure seal (optional, but guarantees purity)
✅ Reasonable price

❌ Doesn't need flavor
❌ Doesn't need "special formulas"
❌ Doesn't need to be micronized (minimal difference)

Well-known brands are all similar. Choose by price.

Quick FAQ

Can I take it with coffee? Yes. Caffeine doesn’t interfere with creatine.

Do I need to take it on rest days? Yes. Creatine works by saturation. Daily consistency matters.

Does creatine go bad if left out of the fridge? No. Store in a cool, dry place. Lasts for years.

Can I mix it with whey? Yes. Zero problem.

How long to see results? 2-4 weeks for saturation. Strength results in 4-8 weeks.

Can I take creatine and pre-workout together? Yes. Many pre-workouts already contain creatine.

Action Plan

Start Like This:

Weeks 1-4:
- Buy creatine monohydrate
- 5g per day, every day
- Any time
- With water, shake, or however you prefer

Week 4+:
- Continue 5g/day indefinitely
- Observe strength gains
- Maintain consistent training

Realistic Expectations:

First weeks:
- +1-2kg weight (muscle water)
- Fuller muscles

First month:
- More strength in sets
- More reps with same weight
- Better recovery between sets

Long term:
- Superior muscle gains
- Consistently better performance
- More accumulated training volume

Final Summary:

Creatine is the most studied, safest, and most effective supplement that exists. It works. It’s cheap. It has no significant side effects.

If you can only buy one supplement, buy creatine monohydrate. 5g per day. Every day. Forever.

It’s that simple.

References:

Kreider RB, et al. “International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017.
Branch JD. “Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis.” Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003.
Rawson ES, Volek JS. “Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength and weightlifting performance.” J Strength Cond Res. 2003.
Antonio J, Ciccone V. “The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013.
Avgerinos KI, et al. “Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.” Exp Gerontol. 2018.